Harry Potter TV show casting crew watched over 40,000 auditions before losing count

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The team behind the HBO series casting for Harry Potter saw an incredible 40,000 auditions – and they actually stopped tracking after that, meaning the real number is likely even higher.

Ever since HBO announced a new TV series based on the popular franchise in 2023, people have been especially interested in who would be cast. The original movies from the 2000s launched the careers of its stars, particularly Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint.

We didn’t learn who would play Harry, Ron, and Hermione until last May. Dominic McLaughlin will be Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton will play Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout will be Ron Weasley in the new TV series.

Reaching that final result wasn’t easy, as shown in the new documentary, Finding Harry: The Craft Behind the Magic, with insights from casting directors Emily Brockmann and Lucy Bevan.

Harry Potter team watched over 40,000 auditions 

The documentary begins by showing how difficult it was to find the right people, with director Brockmann explaining they reviewed around 40,000 auditions. Producer Bevan adds that while they stopped keeping an exact count, they made sure to watch every single audition.

Just to give you an idea of how much footage that is, even if each audition tape was only a minute long – and they only tracked 40,000 auditions – that still adds up to over 666 hours of viewing time, which is almost four weeks of watching non-stop.

Honestly, they didn’t waste any time finding the perfect person for the role! As Brockmann explained, they really had a specific idea of who they wanted when it came to casting Harry Potter. It wasn’t a random search at all – they knew what they were looking for.

The documentary focuses on finding a child who appears normal at first glance but is actually quite exceptional, she explains. Bevan also notes they wanted to make the audition process accessible to all children in the UK by allowing initial submissions online.

The first teaser for HBO’s Harry Potter TV series has dropped

Premiering on Christmas this year

— ScreenTime (@screentime) March 25, 2026

So, the team went all over – Manchester, Scotland, Ireland, Cardiff – basically everywhere, to find the perfect young actors. We started with finding someone to play Ron, and we struck gold with Alastair Stout in Manchester. Honestly, he was just naturally funny and likeable from the moment we met him, says our director, Bevan.

So, after a long search, they found Arabella Stanton in London, and honestly, she just felt right for Hermione. We were all really excited! Then, finally, they cast Dominic McLaughlin as Harry – they found him up in Glasgow, which was awesome!

The casting team was searching for someone who seemed distrustful of adults, with a sensitive and somewhat sad, yet independent, personality. When Noah McLaughlin auditioned, reading an original poem, the team felt he demonstrated a calm and assured presence.

Harry Potter documentary includes cast reactions & sparks debate

Throughout the documentary, other actors discuss the new TV series. John Lithgow, who plays Dumbledore, shares a thoughtful and somewhat serious idea about how he’ll be remembered for his work.

He realized while filming the first Harry Potter movie that he’d be around 80 years old by the time it was finished. He figured he’d be nearly 88 by the end of the entire project, which he found quite a daunting thought.

Paapa Essiedu, who played Snape, recalls the excitement of reading the books as a kid. He remembers that if a friend finished a book before you, they’d immediately spoil the plot!

When I was that age, I always pictured myself as a student at Hogwarts, right there with Harry. I’ll never forget the first time I saw the actual train – it felt like stepping directly into the pages of the book.

In addition to interviews, Finding Harry: The Craft Behind the Magic offers a glimpse into how the series was made, showcasing everything from costume and set design to the creative work that brought the magical world to life.

The show has prompted some viewers to reconsider the recent criticism. One Reddit user shared that after watching the behind-the-scenes footage, they found the negative reactions even harder to understand, noting how much effort went into making the series.

I watched the Harry Potter series making-of and now the backlash makes even less sense
byu/Life_Definition_5240 inHarryPotteronHBO

I recently watched the behind-the-scenes footage, and I honestly think anyone still criticizing the project would have to admit it looks really impressive after seeing how much work went into it.

The set design is remarkably detailed, with stunning costumes and props. It’s clear a lot of thought and skill went into creating every element.

This isn’t a quickly made product just to make money. It’s clear a lot of skilled people have put real effort into it.

But when they checked social media, they found mostly negative feedback. They understood that viewers might have preferred certain elements from the original movies, and some aspects of the series might have actually been improvements…

Many people seem to be responding not with thoughtful feedback, but with a longing for the past and a worry about things being different.

A lot of people on Reddit felt the same way, with one user explaining that some individuals have already made up their minds and see changing their opinion as a personal weakness. They said this happens with most fan groups.

Someone else pointed out that while profit is definitely a major factor here, it’s easy to overlook the fact that movies have always been driven by financial gain too.

Someone else commented that the trailer looked fantastic, even just the short clips. They praised the obvious hard work and said the main actors looked great, expressing excitement for the release.

You can now stream the behind-the-scenes documentary, Finding Harry: The Craft Behind the Magic, on HBO Max. And don’t forget, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone will be released on December 25, 2026.

Before that, learn why a movie based on Harry Potter and the Cursed Child can’t be made and get to know Paapa Essiedu, the actor who will be playing Snape.

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2026-04-06 21:21